5 Matches to Define the Serie a Season Before New Year
Even though Juventus and Roma have pulled away from the pack as expected, there's still plenty to fight for, and other teams will continue dreaming about hoisting the Scudetto as we near the halfway mark of the season.
Second-place Roma have an eight-point advantage over third-place Napoli, showing that a two-horse race could be on the horizon at the top.
There are plenty of teams vying for the third spot in the table. Napoli are currently tied on points with Genoa, a team that has become the surprise of the season so far.
There are plenty of interesting battles between now and the end of the calendar year that could yield new coaches and plenty of positional changes.
Let's take a look at five pivotal Serie A matches that could shake the balance of the league going into the winter break.
December 5: Fiorentina vs. Juventus
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This Friday, Fiorentina host Juventus at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in a match that'll really put Massimiliano Allegri's side to the test.
Rewind back a year when the Viola pulled off one of the greatest domestic matches in recent memory, defeating their bitter rivals by a 4-2 margin in a match that was ultimately decided by the brilliance of Giuseppe Rossi.
Even though the Italian-American is still injured, Mario Gomez is finally healthy and coming off a fine performance against Cagliari where he finally was able to find the back of the net.
A Fiorentina win would leapfrog them into the top five in the standings, while Juventus have to be careful to not drop any points as they have Roma on their trail just three points behind.
December 14: Milan vs. Napoli
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This could essentially be a preview for the fight for the third spot in the standings, which is good for a trip to the Champions League qualification stage.
Milan finally were able to win their first match this past weekend against Udinese after not being able to get three points in the last five domestic rounds.
Meanwhile, Napoli haven't lost a game in the past eight rounds in all competitions. It'll be an interesting battle between Napoli's attack and the lackluster Rossoneri defense, which is still capable of mental lapses despite a good performance against Udinese.
How manager Filippo Inzaghi strategizes the match to quell the likes of Jose Callejon, Dries Mertens and Gonzalo Higuain will be interesting to watch.
December 14: Genoa vs. Roma
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Genoa have been one of the most interesting sides in Serie A to watch this season. Armed with technical wingers and an in-form Alessandro Matri, the Grifoni have been able to score at will while defending reasonably well.
The goalkeeping from Mattia Perin has been excellent, while there are plenty of young, talented midfielders for coach Gian Piero Gasperini to work with.
Perin's saves could play spoiler to Roma, who are only three points behind Juventus and know that dropping any points could see the gap widen in an instant.
Roma also have to play in the Champions League and could see an early group-stage exit if they're not able to get a result against Manchester City at home.
As it stands, Genoa are tied for third place. A win against the Giallorossi could be vital for them to close the gap and let the fans dream of a European place. However, it's still a long season and it'll be hard for them to keep this scintillating form up.
December 14: Juventus vs. Sampdoria
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If Juventus don't get a result the week prior to this round against Sampdoria, it could be a very tough task against a Sampdoria side that's flying in confidence.
Sinisa Mihajlovic has really gotten the Blucerchiati overachieving. They have a powerful attack with Manolo Gabbiadini, a player that Juventus know very well. Right now, Sampdoria are just one point behind first place and looking to surprise Italy by finishing in the top five.
Unfortunately for them, they travel to the Juventus Stadium, a place where results for visiting teams are very hard to come by.
Other than captain Daniele Gastaldello, Sampdoria's defensive line has some very inexperienced players and could suffer against the mammoth Juventus attack. Apart from the strikers, the Bianconeri are very dangerous when they send their midfielders forward.
The likes of Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba, Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo are all a threat to score from the edge of the box. It's this type of dynamism that has made Juventus nearly unstoppable domestically.
December 21: Inter vs. Lazio
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Lazio have been in a lull recently, not having won any of their past three encounters in Serie A. Meanwhile, Inter might have finally gotten their first win under Roberto Mancini by the time this match rolls around, but it'll be very important regardless.
Mancini knows that any finish outside of the top five will be seen as a massive failure, and he embarked on this project knowing that the funds are there to continually improve the squad.
As the final match of the 2014 calendar year, this one in particular could prove pivotal to setting the tone going into the beginning of 2015.
For Lazio, fans haven't been pleased with the lack of ambition from Claudio Lotito, but the squad has proved to be a contender for a top-five finish in Italy.
On the other hand, Inter's transfer market could be influenced by these next few results before the New Year. Owner Erick Thohir is ready to sign the checks. How much say Mancini has in the transfer market remains to be seen.
